1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an information recording apparatus for recording record information such as video information and audio information, onto a record medium, and more particularly to an information recording apparatus for applying a process such as a compression process with respect to the record information and then recording it onto the record medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a VTR (Video Tape Recorder) as an information recording apparatus capable of recording the information such as video information.
Here, in order to record the video and audio information of the television broadcast etc., onto a video tape on which the information has been already recorded, as a record medium in the conventional VTR system, the non-recorded portion of the video tape is firstly searched and the recording operation is started therefrom.
However, in the conventional VTR, when the residual capacity of the non-recorded portion (i.e., the recordable portion) decreases to be little after the operation of recording the information of the particular television broadcast etc., is started and such a possibility arises that the pertinent recording operation cannot be completed, there is a problem that the recording operation should be once stopped and should be re-started after exchanging the video tape. In this case, it is not possible to record the information of the television broadcast etc., which is received during the operation of exchanging the video tape.
On the other hand, when the residual capacity of the non-recorded portion decreases in the above mentioned way, even in case of erasing the recorded information and then recording the information of the television program etc., thereon, it is still not possible to continuously record all the information of the television broadcast etc., since it is necessary to search a recording position of a certain information, which is allowed by the user to be erased since it is less or little important for the user, from among the recorded information and then re-start recording therefrom.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information recording apparatus, which can continuously record more information desired to be recorded even if the residual capacity of the recordable area of a record medium decreases.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by an information recording apparatus for recording record information onto a record medium, on which (i) a plurality of information groups each comprising one series of the record information and (ii) management information including positional information indicating a recorded area of each of the information groups are recordable. The information recording apparatus is provided with: a detecting device for detecting the management information, which is recorded in advance on the record medium, from the record medium; a recording device for newly recording the record information onto the record medium; an outputting device for outputting an identification information to identify the information groups, which are recorded in advance on the record medium, on the basis of the detected management information while the recording device is newly recording the record information; a specifying device for specifying an erasable information from among the information groups which are identified by the outputted identification information while the recording device is newly recording the record information; and a controlling device for controlling the recording device to newly record the record information to a recordable area, which includes the recorded area of the specified erasable information as well as a non-recorded area where the record information is not recorded, of the record medium on the basis of the positional information included in the detected management information.
According to the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the information groups and the management information may be recorded in advance on the record medium such as an optical disc. Namely, as long as a recording operation has ever been performed with respect to the pertinent record medium even once, the information groups and the management information are recorded. Otherwise, the management information indicates that there exist no recorded area but only the non-recorded area i.e., the recordable area. In operation, at first, the management information is detected from the record medium by the detecting device such as an optical pickup. Then, the record information is newly recorded onto the record medium by the recording device such as an optical pickup. While the recording device is newly recording the record information, the identification information to identify the information groups is outputted by the outputting device such as a CPU, on the basis of the detected management information. At this time, from among the information groups which are identified by the outputted identification information, an erasable information is specified by the specifying device such as a +key, xe2x88x92key and the like. Then, under the control of the controlling device such as a CPU, the recording device newly records the record information to the recordable area on the basis of the positional information included in the detected management information. Here, the recordable area includes the recorded area of the specified erasable information as well as the non-recorded area. Thus, the recording device can continue newly recording the record information to the recorded area of the erasable information even if the non-recorded area is diminished as the record information is newly recorded thereon. Therefore, it is possible to reserve the recorded area of the erasable information as the recordable area and to record more record information to the recordable area without stopping the recording operation.
Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the recording operation from being stopped in the middle thereof due to the shortage of the recordable area of the record medium.
In one aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the positional information further indicates the non-recorded area, and the controlling device controls the recording device to newly record the record information at first to the non-recorded area on the basis of the positional information included in the detected management information and then to continuously recording the record information to the recorded area of the specified erasable information when a recordable capacity of the non-recorded area is decreased to be less than a predetermined capacity.
According to this aspect, under the control of the controlling device, at first, the record information is recorded to the non-recorded area on the basis of the positional information, which indicates the non-recorded area, included in the detected management information. Then, when the recordable capacity of the non-recorded area is decreased to be less than a predetermined capacity, under the control of the controlling device, the record information is continuously recorded to the recorded area of the specified erasable information. Accordingly, even if the non-recorded area is diminished, it is still possible to reserve the recorded area of the erasable information as the recordable area and to record more record information to the recordable area without stopping the recording operation.
In another aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, one or a plurality of the information groups constitutes a program, the identification information includes (i) a title of the program and (ii) date and time of recording the program, and the outputting device outputs the identification information as a program list or table including the title and the date and time.
According to this aspect, one or a plurality of the information groups constitutes a program. Thus, one program, which comprises one or a plurality of the information groups, or a plurality of programs, each of which comprises one or a plurality of the information groups, may be recorded in advance on the record medium. In operation, a program list or table including the title of each program and the date and time of recording each program is outputted by the outputting device. It is possible for the user to easily determine the erasable information with referring to the outputted program list or table, so that the erasable information can be certainly specified by the specifying device.
In this aspect, the outputting device may be provided with a displaying device for displaying the program list or table, the specifying device specifying the erasable information on the displayed program list or table. Thus, in this case, the program list or table is displayed by the displaying device. Then, the erasable information is specified on the displayed program list or table by the specifying device.
Further in this aspect, the displaying device may highlight-display each portion of the program list or table as a candidate of the erasable information, the specifying device specifying the highlight-displayed portion as the erasable information. Thus, in this case, since the highlight-displayed portion as a candidate of the erasable information is specified by the specifying device as the erasable information, it is possible to easily specify the erasable information.
In another aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the apparatus is further provided with an inputting device for inputting various instructions including an output instruction to instruct the outputting device to output the identification information, the outputting device outputting the identification information when the output instruction is inputted by the inputting device.
According to this aspect, in operation, when the output instruction is inputted by the inputting device, the identification information is outputted by the outputting device. Thus, when the user desires to reserve the erasable information as the recordable area so as to increase the recordable area, the identification information can be outputted by inputting the output instruction by a manual operation etc., of the user. Accordingly, the erasable information can be specified as the occasion demand.
In another aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the apparatus is further provided with a judging device for judging whether or not a residual capacity of the recordable area is larger than a predetermined capacity, the outputting device outputting the identification information if the residual capacity is judged to be not larger than the predetermined capacity.
According to this aspect, in operation, if the residual capacity is judged to be not larger than the predetermined capacity, the identification information is outputted by the outputting device. Thus, it is not necessary for the user to check or monitor the recordable area, but the identification information can be automatically outputted. Accordingly, the erasable information can be specified as the occasion demand.
In anther aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the apparatus is further provided with an updating device for updating the management information so that the updated management information includes the positional information indicating the recorded area after the recording device newly records the record information, the recording device further recording the updated management information onto the record medium.
According to this aspect, after the recording device newly records the record information, the management information is updated by the updating device. Then, the updated management information is recorded onto the record medium by the recording device. Thus, the updated management information can be always recorded on the record medium, and it is possible to perform a recording operation on the basis of the updated management information.
In another aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the apparatus is further provided with a memory device for storing the detected management information.
According to this aspect, in operation, when the management information is detected by the detecting device, it is stored into the memory device. Thus, it is possible to perform the recording operation after that, by use of the management information stored in the memory device.
In another aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the apparatus is further provided with a reproducing device for reproducing the management information from the record medium and reproducing the record information on the basis of the detected management information.
According to this aspect, in operation, the management information is firstly reproduced from the record medium by the reproducing device. Then, the record information is reproduced from the record medium on the basis of the reproduced management information by the reproducing device. Thus, it is possible to reproduce the record information from the record medium appropriately on the basis of the management information even if the information groups are discretely recorded on the record medium.
The nature, utility, and further features of this invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings briefly described below.